Teamwork
by Travis Celendel
Summary: The story of a few of my own original characters. Takes place 15 to 12 years before the events in the anime. With special guest star Hatake Kakashi


"No, I was the only one." The boy's small voice pitched high at the edge of tears. Tears he had been holding back for days now. In his hand was clutched the long red scarf given to him by his former teammate. They had all been killed. He would have been too, but he fell off the cliff into the water below. Part of him wished he had died that day to that terrifying man. He stood before the council and waited as they decided his fate.

"Tsubo Ryuken," Came the deep , comforting voice of the 3rd Hokage. "I am so sorry that anyone in this village had to experience this tragedy, let alone one as young as you." Ryuken, also called Ryu by his friends, looked strait ahead with burning eyes. "Go rest and recover some of your strength. You will be summoned when the time comes." Ryu bowed and turned to leave. As he did, he noticed the door open. No one was around, so he was confused. Seconds later, a boy smaller than Ryu by several inches walked through the door. He had short dark hair and brown eyes. They were odd eyes, and if Ryu didn't know any better, he'd say they were slitted like a cat's, possibly even a snake. He flashed a smile at Ryu, who ignored it, and bowed to the Hokage. Ryu heard words as the door slid shut. As he exited the building, he ran into a small girl. She was almost a foot shorter than him and with shining golden hair and bright, baby blue eyes. He nodded to her. He had been classmates with Nekono Kokorozashi since he had enrolled in the academy. She was put on Konoha's only all girl squad. She bowed slightly and smiled again. "Good morning Ashi, where are Ichigo and Kunoana?" He asked not as one who desired to know, but was obligated to ask. She didn't catch that. She shrugged.

She spoke in a larger voice than one might expect from one so small. Not to deep, but most assuredly louder. "Kunoana ran away to chase after Sabureno Wanezame, and Ichigo's mother made her quit being a Kunoichi. Where is…" She never got to finish her sentence, as Ryu had walked away. He pulled the brim of his hat down to hide his tears, which were cutting more trails in the dirt on his face.

He reached his house and slammed the door behind him. For half an hour, Ryuken sat in a corner, the only movement was the rising of his shoulders as he sobbed. When he got up, his face was stoic. He was empty, he had no more tears left. He walked to the bathroom sink. He saw what a bad state his face was in. He ran the water through his hands for a moment before cupping them and splashing his face. He looked back to the mirror and saw Him, It. The face of the man that murdered his love. He saw the long, diagonal scar down his always sneering face. In a panic, he punched the mirror and woke with a start.

He was in his own bed, covered in sweat. It was two years later. And he was a member of team 13, otherwise known as the last chance squad or, as he preferred, Sukote no Konohanogure. He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and threw of the blanket. After he finished his morning grooming rituals, he pulled on his clothes. His black pants, the red shirt that covered his arms all the way down to his wrists. He tied the red scarf on his face, using it like a mask and throwing the tails behind him. He placed his tan hat on and adjusted it just right. He grabbed his forehead protector and secured it in its usual place above his knee. He looked himself up and down in the mirror and nodded his approval. He walked out of his bedroom and kicked the lump of blankets in the middle of the floor. They all floated up and off to the side. Mumei stretched and stood up. He scratched his head and looked at Ryu. The blankets folded themselves.

"You're going like that then?" Ryu asked with a slight bit of disgust. And rightly so, for his friend was wearing the same ratty clothes he had on all week. The black shirt that hade more holes in it than a target dummy, which is where the shirt was initially found. Even the pants were in their last leg of use. The hole in the crotch was getting bigger by the day.

"Yup, 'cause I don't need fancy clothes to look good." The boy smiled and itched under his arm. "You ready?" He asked a little more seriously. This was the day of the Chunnin exam, and the entire team was nervous. Sakana-Sensei had finally allowed them to take them after a year of solid training.

"As I'm gonna get. You?"

"I'm always ready." He smiled and turned to walk out of the house.

"You gonna take your plate?" Ryu called out. A metal plate with the symbol of Konoha floated out from a drawer and orbited around Mumei's head. The pair headed out to meet up with the third member of their group. It didn't take long, and very soon, they were joined my a very drowsy Ashi. The trio walked in silence to the testing hall. There they stood, the three of them against some of Konoha's finest new ninja. They looked at each other and smiled. Finally they would prove themselves. They all took a step forward in more than one way. 


End file.
